Bad news for TFW under food service processing their LMO

[keesio]

well, yeah i know that! i was using it as an example of unequal pay for equal work.

my guess is the employers in question are paying foreign workers minimum wage because they can get away with it, because they are less likely to complain and risk their status in Canada.

That normally makes sense... except that this wasn't the case with these recent rash of incidents that triggered the suspension. In these recent cases, Canadian workers not only lost jobs to foreign workers, but they were getting paid up to 20% LESS than the foreign workers. Canadian workers also complained that they were getting pass over for promotions to foreign workers.

Now the "less likely to complain / risk status in Canada" argument is likely true. But they were not paying them minimum wage.

 

[keesio]

I really doubt that it would be that hard to find Canadians who are qualified to pour coffee at a Tim Hortons or assemble burgers at McDonalds. I personally don't see why we need to import people from halfway around the world for these positions, and then provide these people with backdoor access to PR and Citizenship.

Businesses have already explained it. They said foreign workers are better employees. Better enough that they are willing to pay the more and sponsor them. It's not that Canadians can't do the job... but let's face it, Canadians do not want to work at McDonalds (and other fast-food places) unless they have to as a last resort and even then, they are hardly enthusiastic to be there and will take the first opportunity to leave. Those jobs are also often student "summer" type temp jobs for them to earn a few extra bucks while school is out. And if they get fired, no biggie. Managers like employees who will stick around at least a for a little bit (a few years) since you have to put an initial investment in training and such. Nothing stinks as a manager when you get someone trained up to speed and then they tell you they are quitting for a better job.

The foreign workers from the TFW are happy to be working there because it is often a better opportunity than what they would have got back in their home country. Hence tend to (generally speaking) have a better attitude about their job. Also they want to stay in Canada so they will make sure they do a good job since they don't want to risk their TFW status and also they are bound to that employer. So an employer knows that they have someone who will stick around for awhile and try and do a good job. It is worth it for them so that they are willing to pay MORE for foreign workers and invest in getting an LMO and TFW visa and even I think they have to pay for their airfare in some cases.

That is there logic. Makes sense from a business standpoint. But is it fair? That is the hot question and obviously the public sentiment is that it is not.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Businesses have already explained it. They said foreign workers are better employees. Better enough that they are willing to pay the more and sponsor them. It's not that Canadians can't do the job... but let's face it, Canadians do not want to work at McDonalds (and other fast-food places) unless they have to as a last resort and even then, they are hardly enthusiastic to be there and will take the first opportunity to leave. Those jobs are also often student "summer" type temp jobs for them to earn a few extra bucks while school is out. And if they get fired, no biggie. Managers like employees who will stick around at least a for a little bit (a few years) since you have to put an initial investment in training and such. Nothing stinks as a manager when you get someone trained up to speed and then they tell you they are quitting for a better job.

The foreign workers from the TFW are happy to be working there because it is often a better opportunity than what they would have got back in their home country. Hence tend to (generally speaking) have a better attitude about their job. Also they want to stay in Canada so they will make sure they do a good job since they don't want to risk their TFW status and also they are bound to that employer. So an employer knows that they have someone who will stick around for awhile and try and do a good job. It is worth it for them so that they are willing to pay MORE for foreign workers and invest in getting an LMO and TFW visa and even I think they have to pay for their airfare in some cases.

That is there logic. Makes sense from a business standpoint. But is it fair? That is the hot question and obviously the public sentiment is that it is not.

Very well said.

10 years ago, my local Subway was staffed entirely by locals. There was a high turnover, as it was quite obvious that a lot of employees thought that working there for minimum wage was beneath them; they wouldn't bother to engage with customers and acted as if customers were an inconvenience to them. They provided a very poor customer experience and sometimes they were just outright rude.

When I went into the store for the first time after being away for many years, I found that it is now staffed by mostly foreign workers. The employees seem genuinely happy to be there and want to do the best they can, which makes a huge positive difference to the customer experience.

 

[rhcohen2014]

That normally makes sense... except that this wasn't the case with these recent rash of incidents that triggered the suspension. In these recent cases, Canadian workers not only lost jobs to foreign workers, but they were getting paid up to 20% LESS than the foreign workers. Canadian workers also complained that they were getting pass over for promotions to foreign workers.

oh wow! i guess i understood it wrong. eesh! yeah, i can see that as a problem. i know it sucks for the workers, at the same time though i'm glad the government is stepping in and saying this isn't right, and not letting big corporations make the rules. no matter who you are, you should be getting equal pay for equal work.

 

[Harjit Grewal]

Yes I think a lot of Canadians including students have had their hours slowly reduced until their employers have been telling them that they will contact them for work if required.

The other issue is many international students from India and elsewhere cannot find part-time jobs in Subways, Tims, Mcdonalds, Burger King etc as the foreign workers are working all the hours.

In the UK these types of jobs are either done by the local schools leavers or by international students. No foreign workers there really other than in certain skilled or shortage occupations.

 

[stopDA]

Apparently, there's going to be a vote today over whether or not to put a moratorium on the entire low-skilled stream. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the result is in our favor.

 

[torontosm]

TFW is a program with a large number of professions MANY of those belong to highly skilled categories, including but not limited to University professors. Tim Horton or MacDonalds is NOT the only category covered. Some how debates seem to stick around those ONLY.

While i fully understand the problems created in those professions, please understand that when you talk about the program as a whole, it encompasses a much larger domain.

Fair enough, but as far as I can see, no one has stopped the TFW program for university professors or other highly skilled categories.

 

[galuramarvin]

Hi..guys.
I applied for FCA in KFC
Got my Visa already and as well as my ticket.
Will I be affected by this? Is there a chance that Ill get refuse to enter Canada?
Is there any solid proof about the 20 Filipinos who the 19 of them have been sent back home?
Is there any news in the Philippines about that 20 Filipinos?

 

[RabinJi]

By the way where did you apply for work permit?From which country?

 

[mylady833]

Hi..guys.
I applied for FCA in KFC
Got my Visa already and as well as my ticket.
Will I be affected by this? Is there a chance that Ill get refuse to enter Canada?
Is there any solid proof about the 20 Filipinos who the 19 of them have been sent back home?
Is there any news in the Philippines about that 20 Filipinos?

You can get your proof yourself once you land, no one can truly determine the extent of who will get a work permit on the port of entry. Just go and maybe you will be lucky to get your work permit.

 

[makel25]

Hi..guys.
I applied for FCA in KFC
Got my Visa already and as well as my ticket.
Will I be affected by this? Is there a chance that Ill get refuse to enter Canada?
Is there any solid proof about the 20 Filipinos who the 19 of them have been sent back home?
Is there any news in the Philippines about that 20 Filipinos?

when is your flight then sir?

 

[fkl]

Fair enough, but as far as I can see, no one has stopped the TFW program for university professors or other highly skilled categories.

Sure, neither i claimed any thing like that. But it is the entire program that comes under fire and if people keep "the low paid jobs" argument loud enough, it is going to affect the entire program in near future. I am just making sure a lot of Canadians who just chant slogans about low skilled jobs KNOW that it is far more than that.

If you follow this whole thread, half of the time bashing from people came down to blaming the entire program - and not restricted to some sub section's implementation that was abused. I am just trying to enlighten them. People's opinion matters, and has impact on politicians and their decisions in the long run.

 

[zardoz]

The problem is that the WHOLE program is getting a bad reputation, simply because it's not just low-skilled LMOs that are being abused. It's happening elsewhere and these are just the ones that have been caught/publicised.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rbc-replaces-canadian-staff-with-foreign-workers-1.1315008

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/12/rbc-foreign-workers-middle-class_n_3065554.html

It's all about "perception" and at the moment the TFW program is getting "perceived".

 

[torontosm]

It's all about "perception" and at the moment the TFW program is getting "perceived".

Well, the 7% unemployment rate doesn't really help either.

 

[bcmattu]

Apparently, there's going to be a vote today over whether or not to put a moratorium on the entire low-skilled stream. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the result is in our favor.

Sir, Any links on this news. This could be something to look forward to. Keeping fingers crossed.